LIVE: Tornadoes reported in Midwest

Utility providers warn it could take several days to restore power in Iowa.

Storms could push into the Chicago region after midnight.

Top reported wind gusts

Several states saw wind gusts reach over 100 mph during Wednesday's storm system.

Storm spotters captured video of a tornado near the I-80 corridor in central Iowa.

Tornado warning

For the first time since at least 1986, areas in southern Minnesota were placed under a tornado warning. The rotation in the storm was picked up on doppler radar. So far, there have been no reports that a tornado formed over the state.

Kansas City storm report

Wind gusts of more than 70 mph brought down trees and powerlines in the Kansas City metro area.

A storm report into the National Weather Service notes that the roof of a hangar at Kansas City's Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport was ripped off during wind gusts up to 77 mph.

Power Outages across the U.S.

Strong winds, severe storms and thunderstorms knocked out power to over 303,174 homes and businesses.

Colorado: 101,595

Kansas: 93,092

Nebraska: 33,623

Missouri: 24,459

Iowa: 22,600

New Mexico: 10,387

Texas: 7,772

Oklahoma: 5,742

Illinois: 2,234

Arkansas: 1,670

Several trucks were flipped during the high winds along Interstate 80 in Nebraska. A trooper's dashcam caught one of the accidents on camera.

Severe storms in Iowa

A line of severe storms has moved into central Iowa. Winds could reach more than 60 mph within the storms.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch now covers a significant portion of Missouri until 12 a.m. CDT. The primary threats from the southern end of the storms are damaging winds.

Kansas City radar

Severe thunderstorms are pushing into the Kansas City metro with potentially damaging winds.

Download the FOX Weather app right now to track the storms in 3D: CLICK HERE

Dark, ominous skies move into Des Moines, Iowa ahead of severe thunderstorms.

The National Weather Service Office in the Quad Cities launched a weather balloon to help determine the state of the atmosphere and if the severe weather will hold together and make it into eastern Iowa.

Radar shows severe thunderstorms

More than one dozen Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warnings stretch from Kansas to northern Iowa as a line of severe thunderstorms capable of damaging winds and tornadoes moves eastward.

Air quality estimates

Several parts of the state of Kansas are seeing poor air quality that ranges from unhealthy to hazardous. Meteorologists say the storm system is kicking up dust and other particulates into the air.

Read more about the air quality index: CLICK HERE

Kansas wind speeds

Several reporting sites in Kansas reported wind gusts greater than 80 mph. The wind gusts are of the strength typically found in a category one hurricane.

A wind gust hit 82 mph in Sioux City, Iowa while the wind hit 74 mph in Omaha.

Sloan, Iowa

Ominous clouds are seen in Sloan, Iowa, where there is a Tornado Warning for the city.

The National Weather Service says that this storm has shown rotation.

A rain and snow squall moved through central Colorado on Wednesday afternoon. Jeff Dion captured timelapse video of the event.

Damage in Lincoln, NE. Photo: Kylee Yakel

Winds reached 93 mph in Lincoln, Nebraska as severe thunderstorms swept through.

About 160,000 people have lost power in stormy weather Wednesday, including about 103,000 in Colorado, according to poweroutage.us

The Kansas Department of Transportation shows a view of what it is like to drive through the severe storms. Watch as the camera shakes and heavy rain batter the road in Solomon at exit 266.

The storm system is creating tough travel weather and low visibilities along I-80 in Nebraska.

Aurora, CO damage

Several damage reports recently came in from Aurora, CO.

A wind gust of 85.2 mph was reported in Russell, KS.

Dodge City has reported a wind gust of 84 mph

2:30 CT radar image from the FOX Weather app

A line of severe storms are currently moving through Nebraska and Kansas as this hour. The Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued due to 70mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

Satellite image showing dust blowing amid the storms in Kansas

From the National Weather Service: "Satellite imagery of this impressive wind storm. All the pink is dust. All the green are regular clouds. All the blue is ground. All the black are high clouds."

Multiple roads in western Kansas have been closed, including I-70 from the Colorado state line to Russell.

The National Weather Service out of Des Moines, Iowa, says that if any tornadoes were to form today, they could become in the EF-2 range due to the already present high winds.

"Should any tornadoes develop, it would not take a very strong rotation to push the wind on the right side of the tornado movement into the EF2 range considering any storm motion that would already be 80 mph," the NWS Des Moines says.

Caldwell High School in Kansas has part of its gymnasium roof ripped away.

It is raining mud with showers amid a dust storm near Damar, Kansas, a spotter reports to the National Weather Service office in Goodland, Kansas.

The line will reach Lincoln, NE between 3-3:30 p.m. and Omaha by 4 p.m. Central

Courtesy: Pennington County Sheriff's Office

UPDATE: Home blown off trailer along South Dakota's Highway 44 in Pennington County has been clear.

A tornado warning is in effect for central Buffalo County, Nebraska until 2 p.m. Central

A tornado warning is in effect for central Clay County, Nebraska, until 2 p.m. Central

A tornado warning is in effect for central Adams County in Nebraska until 2 p.m.

Denver Fire Department reports tree damage in Englewood, Colorado, including a tree that fell into a home.

A tornado warning is in effect for parts of Nebraska until 1:45 p.m. Central

Omaha meteorologists launched a special weather balloon at 1pm CST to get a current measurement of the upper levels of the atmosphere.

New Mexico wind damage reports:

(Source: National Weather Service storm reports)

Taos: (5:15 a.m. PST) Radio tower downed taking out power lines for northern half of town. Mobile home blown off foundation along with another burned down. Several roofs blown off homes and businesses. Several trees down in the area blocking roads and on top of roads. 

Santa Fe: (5:11 a.m. PST): Wind damage to parked aircraft at Santa Fe Airport. Large evergreen tree toppled outside of St. Francis Cathedral.

Jemez Springs (5:00 a.m. PST): Couple people hospitalized with injuries after trees fall around Jemez Springs and Valles Caldera National Preserve

Albuquerque South Valley (5:14 a.m. PST): Downed trees on homes.

Peak gusts:

Las Vegas (NM): 82 mph

Santa Fe: 70 mph

Roswell: 69 mph

Albuquerque: 55 mph

The warning is in effect until 1:30 p.m. Central

Peak Colorado Wind Gusts on Dec. 15 so far

The Air Force Academy reported a wind gust of 100 mph at 11:18 a.m. MST.

WEATHER NEWS

'Extremely Critical' fire weather risk has never been issued in December, until now

An unprecedented wind event and dry conditions have caused NOAA's Storm Prediction Center to issue its first “Extremely Critical Risk" of fire weather in December for parts of the Plains.

The "Extremely Critical Risk" fire weather category has never been issued in December before.

WEATHER NEWS

'Moderate Risk' of severe weather issued in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin: Destructive winds, tornadoes likely

An outbreak of severe thunderstorms will produce destructive wind gusts and a few nighttime tornadoes, some of which may be strong, in parts of the upper Midwest on Wednesday evening.

This is by far the farthest north the Storm Prediction Center has ever posted a Moderate Risk in December

The top wind gust in Kansas so far is 84 mph in Pierceville

Pierceville, Kansas has reported a gust of 84 mph so far today. Goodland and Big Bow have both reported gusts of 73 mph.

The temperature hit 71 degrees at the airport, breaking the previous record of 69 degrees set in 2017

Travel is extremely dangerous over the far eastern Plains as the dust storm advances.

Video from the National Weather Service in Goodland, Kansas, shows blowing dust associated with powerful winds across the region.

A dust storm warning is in effect until 1:45 p.m. Central

Iowa State University will partially shut down at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 15 due to the forecast severe weather.

"Employees – especially those who commute from outside Ames – are urged to leave at noon and coordinate with their supervisors to work from home, take leave or make up time within the work week," according to a news release.

Residents should seek shelter indoors immediately every time the siren sounds

Due to the forecast winds, the Sioux City Community School District announced it will dismiss students two hours early.

Colorado Wind Gusts as of Wednesday morning

Several wind gusts over 75 mph have been reported in Colorado Wednesday morning, including 107 mph in Lamar and 91 mph in Westcliffe.

MORE DETAILS: Potentially 'historic' high wind event has more than 86 million people on alert